Transfer truck



. KRAMER AND P,1. GBEAvEs.

TRANSFER TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. l, ISZZ.

Patented Nov. 28 1922.

2`sHEETs-sHEET x.

1;. KRAMER AND P. J. GREAVES.l

TRANSFER TRucK.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1,1922. 1,436,660. Patented Nov. 28, 192.2;A

2 SHEETS-#SHEET 2.

la @l f Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

JULIUS KRAMERANI) PERCY' J. GREAVES, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSJIGNORS TO PULLMAN DAVENPORT AND UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE COMPANY, OF CHI- -l CAGO', ILLINOIS,A CORPORATIDN OF ILLINOIS.

TRANSFER TRUCK. i

' Appntionaiea February 1, 1922. serial No. 533253.

T 0 all whom, t 'may concern Be it known that we, JULIUs KRAMER and PERCY J. GRnAvns, citizens of the United States of America, and residents 0f Chicago,"

. ed for complete manual control and operation by an attendant stationed thereon; to provide in such a truck a-eoimnonndrive member to receivel manualA power for operating either the winding drum for loading and unloading the truck, or the traction Wheels. for moving the truck itself; to prof vide arl improved form and arrangement of drum and traction wheel driving members and gear controlling means therefor; and to provide an improved form of reversible ratchet mechanism for `transmitting manual power to the common power shaft.

An illustrative embodiment of this inven tion is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which o Figure l is a plan ofl the transfer ear and adjacent runway and side tracks.

Figure is partly a side elevation andpartly a vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional, view on the linel 3MB of Fig. l, showing an enlargement of the gear controlling hand lever and setting mechanism therefor.

Figure 4 is a section on the line lf-a of .Fi g. l and Shows the reversible ratchet le ver nieiianism. for applying hand ower to the driving shaft.`

Figui-e5 is a Fig. 3.' l

In the construction shown in the drawings, the transferV car l is arranged to travel sectionon` the line 5--5' of N lengthwise in a runway 2 provideljl with rails 3, and is'adapted to receive loaded lum- 'l'ler bunks 4 or the likev from thevthree-raiiv side Atracks 5, disposed at right angles to the' runway 2 preferably on both sides thereof. Said truck l comprises mainly a frame including longitudinal side beams 6, a series of cross beams 7 braced by plates 7 a platform 8 at one end whereon the operator may stand, load receiving rails 5 and certain operating nieehanisms to be described.

Said truck is provided with four supporting wheels 9 arranged in coaxial pairs, one pair being disposed inward some distance from the platform end and securedu on a common driving shaft l0 to which at least one of said wheels is fixed. Said shaft is provided with a winding drum l1 mounted turnably and slidahly thereon, and certain gear mechanism to he described.

On the platform end of said truck, and positioned lengthwise of the truck, is mounted a common driving shaft 12, and means for rotatively operating same manually, said means including a hand lever 13 and ratchet mechanism which will also be described.

Gear controlling means are also provided on platform 8 whereby the power from shaft l2 may be applied either to the 'traction wheels or to drum '11, said means including a horizontal lever 14 extending from shaft l() to platform -8 and an upright hand lever 80 15 having means 16 for setting the same adjustably.

Referring to Figure l the hand power lever-13 is provided with a snap-over reversible ratchet mechanism 17 arranged tol85 coact with a. ratchet wheel 'i8 fixed on the adjacent end of shaft 12. The lever 13 is' pivoted on shaft 12, 'and the mechanism 17 includes a double-ended pawl 19 ivoted atv E20 to lever l-l, in combination with an in- 90 verted,T-member 2l pivoted at 2 2 to lever i3 at a point above pivot 20. The ends of' detent l) and the parallel arms of member 21, are connected by a pair of parallel links 223. A tension spring 24 Vis connected at its 95 lower end as at to lever 13, between pivots 2() and 22, and its upper end is. secured to a medial point 26 on the upright handle part 2.7 of meml'wr 2l.. As viewed in Figure 4 from the platform side, the ratchet is set 100 for turning the wheel 1 8 and shaft l2 counter-clockwise. In order to reverse the direc'- tion7 the handle part 27 is swung to the right.. This reverses the tilt of pawl19 as will be understood.

Referring to Fig. 1, the opposite Aend of shaft 12from lever 13 is provided with a bevel pinion 2 3A ixed thereon. The drum 11- is provided on its end adjacent to shaft l2 with a bevel gear 29 secured co-turnably thereto, and shaft. 10` is provided with av bevel gear 30 `on the opposite side of shaft 12. The drum 1l and gear 30'are slidable lengthwise on shaft 10, gear 30 bei-ng splined tive to gear 28.

In order that gears 30 and 29 may be alternately engaged with gear 28, at the will of the operator, gear 30 is provided with a hub 32 and `.with a collar 33 mounted in a groove 32 thereon, and drum 11 is provided with a hub 34 having a collar `35 thereon fitting in the groove 34', and said collars are connected operatively to the gear control lever 14 as will. now be described.

Secured to the truck frame are two fulcrum arms 36 and 37 adjacent to the ends of the shaft 10 respectively. Lever 14 is pivoted at 37 to fulcrum 37 and its forked short arm is pivoted at 39 to the collar 35. A short lever 40 parallel with lever 14 is pivoted at 41 to fulcrum 36. @ne end of said lever 40 is bifurcated. and pivoted at 42 to collar 33, and its other end is pivoted at 40 to one end of a link 43. The other end of said link`43 is pivoted at 43' to lever 14 on the lopposite side of pivot 37 from .the colla-1` ing movement of drum 11 and gear 30 lengthwise of shaft 10 whereby the driving gear 38 isengaged to either gear 29 or gear 30 depending on the position of the gear controlling handle 15 and lever 14.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 5, the lever 15 is pivoted at 44 to a bracket 45 fixed on the truck frame. The lower end of lever 15 is rounded as shown at 4G and extends in loose fitting relation through an aperture 47 in the outer end of lever 14,' which for this purpose may be bifurcated as shown in Fig. 5. A guide plate is secured to the under side of the end bar 7 of the truck frame and provides a slot 49 to receive said lever 14. ln

vided with a spring urgedhand actuated de-A tent 50 to engage the toothed segment 51 on the support 52 which also bears the bracket on the railsd 3.

Referring-now to the winding drum'll and the means for drawing loaded trucks or lumber-bunks 4 'onto and olf from the transfer truck, the cable 52 has] one end secured to the drum and extends lengthwise of the truck 1 and thence around the sheave 53 which is mounted to slide freely in its axial direction on the supporting pivot shaft 54 the cable extends around the sheave 55 of -pulley block 55 and thence laterally either to or past a sheave 56 mounted for free axial parallel with shaft 10. From said vsheave 53 movement on a pivot shaft 57 disposed parallel with the side bars 6 vof the main frame.

In order that loads may be handledfrelative to the side tracks 5 on either side of truck 1, the pulley block 55 is carried by a link 58 which `is pivoted at 59 to the bracket 60 on theadjacent frame bar 7. Said lir 58 is provided witha swivel joint at 61 so as to readily accommodate the necessary overturning movement of the sheave 55 in reversing the vcable to operate from one side of the truck to the other as suggested by the dotted lines on Figure 1.

The operation of the truck is as follows: First, in order to propel the truck-1 along the rails 3 the hand lever 15 is swung to the right as viewed in Figure 3. This throws the long arm of lever 14 toward shaft 12 and-thereby responding traction wheels 9 are keyed, rotation of shaft 12 in one direction or the other causes corresponding movement of the truck Rotation of shaft 12 is effected by the operator' grasping the handle 13 while standing on platform 8 and swinging said handle back and forth, whereby power is transmitted from said handle through; the ratchet mechanism to shaft 12. The movement of the car is reversed by rev'ers'ing the position of'handle 27 which controls the detent 19.

Second', in case the drum 11 is to be operated for loadi/ng or unloading the truck the lever 15 is reversed, thereby swinging the long end of lever 14 away from shaft 12.

This throws the drum 11 and gear 2S) into engagement wlth gear 28 and at the same time throws gear 30 out of engagement. ln order to apply power to the drum for winding up the cable the ratchet handle 27 is thrown to the left as shown in Figure 4. Then when the hook 62 on the end of cable 52 is attached to a load the latter will be drawn n Vtracks, at the far side of the truck, the cable 52 will extend around the remote sheave 56 1 and thence back to the nearside of the lumber-bunk or other load-carrying truck, whereupon application of power will dra-w the same off from truck 1.

Third, in case the cable is to be unwound the handle 15 is thrown to traiisfer'engagement of gear 28 from gear 29 to gear or gear 28 may be left in its neutral half-way position. Then the cable may be uiiwound by grasping the cable 52 or the hook 62 and pulling thereon, as will be apparent.

With the truck above described one man working alone may readily and safely perferm the loading and unloading operations .and the propelling of the truck, such as would require a gang of men if manual force were applied directly, and such as would often prove hazardous to the workmen.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of thel construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.l

We claim: l 1. A transfer truck comprising in combination a frame having supporting wheels, manually operated power means, a winding drum and cable therefor arranged for drawing loads onto and off from the truck, and manually operated gear controlling means to connect said power means either. to said drum or to one or more of said wheels.

2. A transfer truck comprising in combination a frame having supporting wheels,

load receiving rails, an operato-rs platform,

y manually operated power means, a winding drum and cable therefor arranged for drawing loads onto and ofi' from said rails and manually operated means for connecting -said power means either to Said drum or to 'one or more of said wheels.

3. A transfer truck comprising in c0111-, biiiation al frame having supporting wheels, a load receiving part, an operators platform, gearing, manually operated power means, a winding drum and cable therefor arranged for drawing loads' onto and off from the truck, and manually operated gear controlling means for connecting said power means either to saiddrum or to one or more of said wheels, said gear controlling means including a lever connected to said drum and to a gear which isoperatively connected to one of said wheels.

bination la frame having supporting wheels, manually operated power means, a winding drum and cable therefor arranged for drawing 'loads onto and off from the truck, power transmitting gearing, and manually oper-l` ated gear controlling means for connecting said power means either to said drum or to one or more of said.wheels, said gear controlling means including a handle, a pair of levers operatively connected to said handle and also connected to said drum `'and to a gear included in said gearing which is operatively connected to one of said wheels. 5. A transfer truck having a plurality of supporting wheels and a driving shaft operl supporting wheels and a driving shaft oper-` atively connected to and coaxial with one of said wheels in combination withA a bevel gear splined to said shaft and a winding drum with va bevel gear fixed thereon also carried on said shaft in free turning relation thereto, means for shifting said drum f and gears longitudinally of said shaft, a

driving gear having a .substantially fixed axis and disposed between .said gears whereby power may be transmitted to either ofy said bevel gears and means for throwing either of said bevel gears into engagement with the third mentioned gear. i

7. A transfer truck having a plurality of supporting wheels and means for applying power to one or more of said wheels, said means including a shaft.I mechanically oper ativel connections extending from said shaftto said one wheel, a ratchet device adapted 'for hand operation connected to said shaft, said. connections including a pair of bevel gears, and means. for disconnecting said gears.'

8. A transfer truck having rails thereon to support a load, a windingV drum disposed parallel with said rails, means for applying power to said drum, a cable for said drum, and a plurality'of sheaves arranged -to carry a part of said cable in a position parallel with said rails, being yprovided with a swivel block and said block being` pivotally supported to swing to accommodate disposition`- of the load re- I ceiving end of the cable in either direction; 4; A transfer truck comprising in com- A transfer truck having rails thereon to support a load, a winding drum disposed parallel with said rails, manual means foi- 1:0.. A transfer truck having rails thereon one of said pulleysi ab,

' to support a load, a winding drum disposed parallel with said rails, manualmeans for applying power to said drum, a cable for said drum, and a plurality of sheaves a1.'- ranged to carry a part of' said cable in a position parallel with said rails, v,one of said sheaves being slidable inA its axial direction` and another of said'pulleys beirig provided JULIUS KRAMER.

PERCY J. GREAVES. 

